Vehicle wheel



A, F. -KELLY VEHICLE WHEEL M ay 22', 1923.

Filed Debl 2,' 1920 fnvenor ADEL BERT Z/EL LY Patented May 22, 1923.

. ADELBERT F. KELLY, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

Application filed December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,826.

erence to thehubs used in motor vehicle wheels employed in conjunction with such resilient spokes. These improvements are `generally directed to simplification of con struction, reduction of weight and number of parts and increased strength and durability. This invention is a modication and improvement of the general type of springspoke wheel forming the subject-matter of a prior patent granted to the inventor hereof, 2o No. 1,328,244, issued January 13, 1920.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved spring-spoke wheel.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

LIn the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 isaragmentary View in side elevation of the hub plate with the cover plate partially 'broken away;

Figure 2 isa section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the assembled hub and spokes;

Figure 5 is a perspective of the inner portion of a complementary pair of spokes;

Figure 6 is a View in side elevation of a portion of the assembled wheel.

In vthis selected embodiment of the invention, there is provided a wheel hub having a body member such as a metallic Vhub plate 7. This hub plate is adapted to have secured theretoy a metallic cover plate 8 which is preferably in the form of a flat ring. The plate Sis held to the hub plate by means of a Aplurality of annularly disposed bolts 11 -seated the terminal hub Thus,

bers. Herein, such resilient means are dis;

passed through holes `in t secured by the nuts 12.

The hub plate is provided vwith an-'annu lar thickened portion adjacent its `central axle opening 9.- This thickened portion' is preferably formed by buildingup the metall" substantially in the formof an innerannular shoulder 13 which axially projects from the relatively thin hub plate proper. A plurality of annularly disposed recesses f are e `two plates and provided in this shoulder 13 and in eachone of these recesses is adapted retentively to be portion of the-spoke member. In thevform here disclosed these spoke members are complementary pairs Aof Opposedly bowed Spring-Spokes 14 and 15,7'

each complementary with hub portions 16 mally in` terminal palr being provided. and 17- which are noradjacent parallelism. VThe inner portions of each pairV are preferably shaped to provide a single solid head of such configuration that thel head may -be positioned within and be retentively seated in a recess. As here shown, the spoke terminals are formed to provide an interlocked head. One terminal portion 18 of eachcom;l

plementary spoke pair'is shaped to provide a solid head while the terminal portion 19 of its complement'is shapedtightly 'tofembrace such head and the-single unitary head thus formed is adapted to` be retentively seated in one of said recesses provided on the built-up shoulder 13 ofthe hub plate. when vthe cover plate -8 issecured in position, the spoke ,headsare ,held against any axial displacement. Means are also provided on the' hub plate to maintain the hub portions of theI spokes in their normal annularly spaced pai-redrelation. A relatively constricted spoke channel, outwardly extending' from each recess, 'l

1s providedv on the hub plate 7 The walls of each channel are formed by the portions 21 of ribs preferably integralfwith thefhubv plate .7 and axially projecting therefromL, These rib portions .21 voutwardlyextend in'l opposed spaced pairs from each recess. lThe hub portions 16 and 17 of each'fcomplementary spoke pair' are positioned and outwardly extend from a recess'- through a l channel. j In this improved hub, resilient means are provided adjacent the hub periphery yieldingly to resistdistortion of the spokeniemkby the inner face of the other plate.

Y containing closed as rubber blocks 22 carried in compartments provided by the hub plate 7. The ribs outwardly extending beyond the portions 21 are offset to form the compartment walls 23. The rubber blocks 22 are positioned in each compartment on each side of the hub portions of the spoke pair outwardly extending therethrough, the spokes being preferably of such shape that the normally adjacent hub portions extend slightly beyond the blocks 22. Hence, upon exertion of the compressive stress uponthe lowermost spokes of the wheel, the attendant separative distortion of the spokes at the hub portions will yieldingly be resisted by the blocks. Furthermore, it may be pointed out that the portions 24 of the hub plate 7 and the cover plate 8, which are adjacent the hubv portionsl of the spokes, are outwardly tapered or reduced in thickness as shown in Figure 3. This recession of the opposed faces of the hub and cover plates decreases liability to frictional wear of the hub portions of the spokes against these plate faces.

A closure of the peripheral spaces between adjacent compartment blocks is afforded by means of a plurality of axially projecting members annularly disposed adjacent the periphery of one of the plates and adapted to abut against or to be engagd n this preferred embodiment of the invention, such members 25 are formed integrally with the hub plate 7 and axially project as shown in Figure 2, to abut against the inner face of the cover plate 8 when the plate is in assembled position. These annularly segmental members 25 are preferably of such circumferential dimension that each end projects slightly beyond the adjacent compartment wall and into the compartment, the rubber blocks 22 being cut away or shaped accordingly.

The metal around the bolt holes 26 of the hub plate is preferably slightly builtup to provide a boss 27 for the holes 26 and to strengthen somewhat the offset portions 23 of the ribs forming the compartments the resilient blocks 22.

It is to be understood that any suitable form of hub proper for the usual axle may be employed. The hub proper is here shown generally as an axially disposed sleeve 28 integral with the hub plate.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wheel hub including a body member having an inner portion provided with a plurality of annularly disposed recesses, said member also being shaped to provide a c plurality of channels, each channel extending outwardly from one of said recesses, spoke members having portions inwardly extending through said channels and terminally seated in said recesses, and resilient means carried by the hub adjacent its periphery yieldingly to resist distortion of said spoke members.

2. In a wheel hub, the combination of a body member and a cover plate therefor, the member having an inner portion provided with a plurality of annularly disposed recesses, a plurality of compartments adjacent the periphery of said member, a plurality of radially extending constricted channels formed on said member, each channel connecting a recess with a compartment, complementary pairs of opposedly bowed spring-spokes, each spoke pair having hub portions inwardly extending through a compartment and connective channel to a recess and terminally shaped to be retentively seated in the recess, and resilient means in` each compartment yieldingly to resist distortion of said spoke inner portions.

3. In a wheel hub, the combination of a body member and a cover plate therefor, the member having a plurality of annularly disposed recesses in its inner portion, a plurality of compartments adjacent the periphery of said member, a plurality of radially extending constricted channels formed on said member, each channel connecting a spring-spokes having bowed portions and straight hub portions, said spokes being arranged in complementary pairs having the bowed portions opposedly disposed and the straight hub portions in adjacent paralleli ism, each pair of spokes having the bowed portions outwardly extending beyond the hub member, and the straight' vportions extending through a compartment and connective channel to a recess, means to secure the inner end portions of each spoke pair in a recess, and resilient means in each compartment tending to retain the straight portions of a spoke pair in normal adjacent,

parallelism.

recess with a compartment,`4

4. A wheel hub including a body member provided with a plurality of annularly `disposed recesses, a plurality of complementary pairs of opposedly bowed spring-k spokes, each pair having hub portions terminally secured in one o-f said recesses, the inner terminal portion of one of each complementary spoke pair being shaped to provide a solid head, the terminal portion of its complementary spoke being shaped to embrace said head, said terminally embraced head of each pair being shaped to be retentively seated in one of said recesses,

and means to maintain the hub portions of the spokes in annularly spaced paired rela` tion.

5. A wheel hub including a body member having an inner portion with a plurality of.

a channel outrecess, spokes annularly disposed recesses, wardly extending from each terminally seated in said recesses and extending outwardly through said channels, and an annular cover plate adapted to be secured to said hub member, .the portions of the member and plate adjacent said spokes being outwardly tapered whereby the outer hub portions of the spokes are normally out of contact with said member and plate.

6. A wheel hub including a hub plate and a cover plate therefor, the hub plate having a thickened inner portion provided with a plurality of recesses, ribs formed on the hub plate and outwardly extending in spaced paired relation from each recess, means to secure the cover plate to the hub plate, members formed on the hub plate in annularly spaced relation adjacent the hub plate periphery and axially projecting therefrom to abut against the cover plate,

and complementary pairs of spring spokes, each pair having hub portions inwardly extending between adjacent spaced members and between spaced ribs and terminally seated in one of said recesses.

7. A wheel hub including a hub plate, and acover plate therefor, and means to secure the cover plate to the hub plate, the hub plate having an inner thickened portion to provide a plurality of annularly disposed' recesses, a plurality of annularly spaced compartments on said hub plate adjacent the periphery thereof, a channel on the hub plate connecting each recess with a compartment, a plurality of axially projecting members annularly disposed adjacent the periphery of one of said plates and adapted to abut against the other plate, said members being disposed between said annularly spaced compartments and complementary pairs of spring spokes, each pair having hub portions inwardly extending through a compartment and connective channel to a recess and terminally seated in the recess, and resilient means in each compartment yieldingly to resist distortion of said hub portions.

8. In a wheel hub, the combination of a body member, said member having an inner portion provided with a plurality of annularly disposed recesses, said member having a'plurality of compartments adjacent the periphery thereof, a plurality of radially extending constricted channels formed on said member, each channel connecting a recess with a compartment, complementary pairs spring-spokes, each spoke pair having hub portions inwardly extending through a. compartment and connective channel to a recess and terminally shaped to be retentively seated in the recess, and resilient means in each compartment yieldingly to resist distortion of said spoke inner portions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set.

of opposedly bowed f 

